Improvement in horse-rakes



Hf S. DooLlmE.

Revolving Rakel Patented Aug.- w22,kk 1346,

NO- .4708. y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM S. D'OOLITTLE, OF KORTRIGHT, NEW YORK.

||v| PRovEMENT IN HORSE-RA'KES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4,708, dated August22., 1846.

` a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operationof the same, reference `being had to lthe accompanying drawings,

making part of this specification, in which* Figure 1 is an isometricalview of one of my rakes, and Figs. 2, 3, 4, and ,5, are detached parts.Y

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the iigures.

a a a is the axis, of wood, into which the teeth bA b b, Src., are set.

The mode of inserting and forming the teeth is as follows: A row ofholes having` been bored quite through the axis a, in a straight linefrom end to end, at a distance apart corresponding to the intervalrequired between the teeth, a straight piece of stout iron wire, ofsufficient length to form two teeth, is entered at each hole and drawnthrough in such manner as to haver equal portions projecting upon eachside of the axis. These two portions are then bent in oppositedirections, entirely around the axis, thus forming a ring'y near theroot of the tooth, which ring embraces the axis, as shown at c c c,8vo., Fig. l. The remaining straight portions of wire are theny bentinto the desired form of tooth. The form which I employ is shown in thedrawings. The axis is inclosed in a frame consisting of the side pieces,d d,

and the cross-pieces e e. The shafts f f f f, with their braces g g, arebolted to the crosspieces c e, and extend backward over the axle,

'being secured thereto, as shown in Fig. 3,

where f is a portion of one of the shafts, a the axle, and h a part ofone of the handles. A

staple, i c', embraces the axle, (being received into a circular groove,which is made around this'latterto prevent the lateral motion thereof,)and passes up through the end of the shafts and the foot of the handle.Two screw-nuts, j j, secure the whole.

To prevent the screwing up the nuts, from ,would impede itsrevolution,two shoulders, lc k,

are formed upon the legs of the staple, which resistr the pull of thescrew by acting upon the under side of the shafts. To prevent therevolution of the axle and maintain the teeth in the proper position, aniron ring, Z, is xed uponthe center of the former. It has a small stud,m m, projecting from both its upper and under side. This stud isreceived in a slot, o, made in the spring n. The forward end of thisspring-is firmly screwed to the cross-piece e.

It is evident that while either stud is embraced by the slot o the axlemust be stationary. By pressing the foot, however, upon the hinder endof the spring n, the stud is disengaged, and the draft ofthe horsecauses the axle to partially revolve. To continue the revolution untilthe opposite stud falls intothe slot, and thus bring the other set ofteeth into an acting position, I employ supplementary teeth .fr x, Ste.(Exhibitedby red lines in Fig. 2.) I shall usually insert these teeth intwo sets, as shown in Fig. 1, forming two spiders, the arms of which arearranged'at intervals of sixty degrees. It is evident that during therevolution ofthe axle the points of these supplementaryteeth willsuccessively come in contact with the ground, and serve to support themachine and continue the revolution.

My apparatus is both simple and light, and does not require, as thecommon horse-rake does, to be lifted in orderto revolve the teeth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. lCombining with the revolving axle the ring l, with its studs m m,together with the spring n, containing a slot, o, to receive andretain'the studs successively, and thus maintain theteeth in the properposition.

2. Inserting the supplementary teeth forming the spiders, operating'inthe manner and for the' purpose herein described.

HIRAM S. DOOLITTLE.

v Witnesses:

- WM. S. ELLIsoN,

CHAs. H. HAZEN.r

